An Ode to Mango at Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai

Before the mango season concludes on the western coast of
India, it only makes sense to make the most of it. With this belief in mind,
the folks at Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai are hosting food festival—Mango
Saga.

Executive chef at Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai,
Ashvini Kumar wanted to make the ‘king of fruits’ a hero and he succeeded. The food festival, Mango Saga, has a menu that features traditional Maharashtrian mango
dishes such as Aam Panna, Amchur Macchi Curry, Mango Masala Rice and Aamkhand. As
a matter of fact, chef Kumar went the extra mile to spend time at orchards and
with farmers to learn more about mangoes. “We spent time with them to learn
there authentic mango recipes and how they use mangoes in so many dishes so it
can enhance the taste,” he says.

Four Points by Sheraton Navi Mumbai has tied up with
Saguna Farms in Karjat to source their mangoes and to ensure diners are made
aware of the hard work that goes into the cultivation of the fruit.

The idea of the Mango Saga food festival came from the
memories of summer vacation. Chef Kumar says, “During vacations, we use to go
to the village. I used to sit next to my grandmother, I carefully observed how she made varieties of dishes. She had magic in her hands and I used to love
watching her make mango pickles, mango chutneys.”

Chef Kumar added that apart from health and nutritional
benefits, mango is a very versatile fruit, “It can be used in various dishes like
in pickles, soups, main course dishes, salads, and dessert.” Some of his modern
creations include Mango Chilli Chaat and Mango Sushi! “The fruit has its own
way to add flavour to a dish. For example, while cooking dal we put in raw
mango pieces while boiling it so the flavour gets blended in on the
first step itself,” he further elucidates.